Visiting the Algarve, Portugal? Then see this SITE before the sights!

With picturesque fishing villages, long beaches of golden sand, mountains, castles, lakes and rivers, the Algarve is a truly diverse all-year-round holiday destination.

If you love the 'Mediterranean style' holiday experience with all the facilities and sophistication that tourism development can offer, then the coastal strip west from Faro to Albufeira and Lagos is for you. Here you may find large hotels and resorts, endless beaches, nightlife, swimming pools, health clubs and superb shopping; all the comforts of home in a foreign country.

However, if you prefer to experience the real and virtually unspoilt Algarve then go east of Faro, or to the west Atlantic coast or to the interior. Alternatively, visit in the winter or spring; the weather is usually excellent, not too hot and of course there are far fewer tourists to contend with.

The Algarve coast is best described in two parts; to the west of Faro the coast is set with fantastic rock formations separating the many small coves and bays, offering superb photographic opportunities.

The coastline to the east of Faro is a complete contrast best seen from the air on approach to Faro Airport; low sandbanks and islets interwoven with small rivers and twisting channels, small traditional fishing villages and restrained holiday resorts make this a charmingly 'Portuguese' destination.

An excursion inland along by the Rio Guadiana, to Alcoutim close to the Spanish border and to the west, the raw Atlantic coast and the Serra de Monchique epitomise the unspoilt and rugged beauty that calls discerning travellers back time after time.